Raja of Perlis Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail this morning failed to convince state mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin to withdraw his shocking resignation which he had tendered yesterday.

dr asri mufti perlis 081008 Speaking to Malaysiakini after the meeting, the mufti, whose current contract expires on Nov 1, clarified that he has been given one month - until Dec 1 - by the ruler to think through his decision.

"Although I am very adamant about relinquishing my post, out of respect to him and my good relationship with him, I will wait another month," he said.

When contacted yesterday, Mohd Asri claimed he was victim of a political game and this had shaped his decision to resign from his post.

"I am not comfortable with the political games by some quarters in the state government. They are not honest," he had said in reference to his contract as state mufti.

He, however, had refused to elaborate what the ‘political games’ were or name the people involved.

Sources told Malaysiakini yesterday that Mohd Asri had recently received a contract expiry notice despite the fact that he had signed a new deal in June to stay on until October next year.

'I am happy with my decision'

Mohd Asri further revealed that the Raja of Perlis had also persuaded him to stay on until October next year.

"But I have made up my mind (to resign), and I have made various arrangements pertaining to my resignation," he said.

He also said that, since his decision to resign had been posted on his blog yesterday, he has been repeatedly asked to reconsider his move.

"I have received hundreds of emails and phone calls persuading me to stay on, but I have made up my mind," he said.

"Actually, I am happy with my decision. Not everyone wants to be a mufti forever in his life. I have nothing to lose," he said with a laugh.

At 36, Mohd Asri made history as the youngest mufti in the country. The former academician is expected to postpone his plan to resume duties as a lecturer in Universiti Sains Malaysia on Nov 1 as he must now wait until Dec 1 to confirm his resignation.

dr asri zainul abidin mufti perlis and putrajaya pantun Mohd Asri grabbed headlines recently when he posted a controversial poem entitled ‘Cari Ganti’ (Looking for Successor) on his blog. The poem, which was a take on the state of the country's leadership, sparked a nationwide guessing game as to who he was referring to when he wrote, "Let not a robber replace a thief".

Perlis MB: Its a misunderstanding

In a related development, the Perlis government has claimed that it had no intention of ending Mohd Asri's services and that the latter's decision to quit was a result of a misunderstanding.

mat isa sabu md isa sabu "Why should we cease his services? We don't even have a replacement!" Perlis Menteri Besar Md Isa Sabu told Malaysiakini when contacted.

He also said that the state government "had no problems" and was "satisfied" with Mohd Asri's performance over the past two years.

Md Isa also heaped praises on Mohd Asri for having views that were "very critical" in various religious issues, reports Jimadie Othman .